Key-duplicating machine



To all whom t may concern:

Patented Bec. 19, 1922.

' UNITED STATES SAMUEL SEGAL, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

KEY-DUPLICTING- MACHINE.

Application filed December 26, 1919... Serial No. 347,356.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL SnGAL, a citizen ofy the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Duplicating Machines, ofwhich the` following is a specification.

My invention relates to key-duplicating machines by means of which a key similar to any given master key vmay be easily and accurately produced or made, the invention relating more particularly to the particular form of work-holding clamps for holding the master key and key blank vduring the duplicating operation.

The object of my invention is the production of a work-holding clamp adapted for use on keyfduplicating machines which shall be of extreme simplicity of construction. and of few parts and .by means of which the master key and key blank may be expeditiously placed and firmly, properly and accurately held in the desired and same relative position.

A further object of the invention is the production of a novel form of work-holding clamp for key-duplicating machines which shall be adapted to firmly hold in the desired p'osition either a key of the cylinder lock type or a fiat-.key.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from the accompanying description, the invention consisting vin the novel parts and combinationsof the same hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a key-duplicating machine for duplicating keys of the cylinder lock type or fiat keys.

Fig. 2 is a 4vertical cross-section von the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my work-holding clamp.-

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the improved i line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the sliding plate of they work-holding clamp.

Referring to theV several` figures` of :the

y drawing:

' 10 indicates the base of a key-duplicating machine which is rovided with a body portion 11 having side plates 12 carrying the rod 13 connecting said side plates together.

14 indicates the carriage of the machine which is horizontally slidably-inounted on the rod 13. Said carriage is provided with the arms 15 extending outwardly therefrom and with one-piece work-holding clamp 16, 16 to be presently described in detail, preferably integral with said arms.

17 indicates a guiding finger which is suitably and preferably rigidly mounted in a post 18 extending upwardly from the body of the machine. rlhe` outer edge of said guiding finger is bevelled as illustrated and is adapted to 'engage the notches in the biting edge of a cylinder lock key. 19 indicates a second guiding finger mounted in a post 2O similar in construction to post'lS.

The outer edge of said second guiding finger is fiat or squared and vis adapted to engage or fit within the indentations intermediate the rectangular teeth onthe biting edge of a flat key. n

21 indicates a double standard extending upwardly from the machine and having a shaft22 journalled thereinand held at one end by a suitable nut 23 and at the other end by a driving wheel 24 which is provided with a handle 25 for rotating the shaft 22. The driving wheel 24 is also provided with a groove 25 adapted to receive a belt connecting with a suitable source of power whereby said driving wheel may be power driven if so desired. 26 is a rotary cutting tool mounted on the shaft 22 and having a bevelled edge similar in configuration tothe outer bevelled edge of the guiding finger 17. 27 indicates a rotary cutting tool of a width equal to the width of the guiding finger 19 and provided with a sawtooth edge as illustrated. The distances between the centers of the clamps 16, 16', the guiding finger 17 and rotary cutting tool 26 and the guiding finger 19 and rotary cutting tool 27 are preferably'equal. More'- over, the outer edges or edges nearest the clamps of the guiding fingers 17 and 19 and the rotary cutting tools 26 and 27 lie inthe is in vertical alignment with the guiding erative position onthe rod13 as shown in Fig. 1 and rom'its normalinoperative position as shown in l? ig. 2, to cause either end ot the biting edge of the master' key to'be pressed against the guiding iinger 17. The

carriage is moved slowly and li'o'rizoiitallyv` along the rod 13. Contact all times being preferably kept between the bitingedge ot the master keyand the guiding finger 1T. The 'forward movement of the oarriageto-` wards the guiding ringer; is limited bythe depthoi each notch or out' in the biting edge of the master key and a notch or out oit equal depth will be made in the edge ot the key blank by the cutting tool'26 as is obvious".A

in duplicating a flat key, the carriage is swung to the lett on rod 13 until clamp`16 iinger 19 and clamp; 16 with the rotary cutter 27. The master key and key blank are properly positioned andl held in their.

respective clamps and by rotation of shaft 22 and successive engagementof the guiding tingorlll with each indentation of the master key, similar indentations are out inthe bitingedge 4.of the key blank, as will be manitest, by the cutting tool 27.

My improvedwork-holding clamps 1`Gl'an`d j 16f fork positioning. and firmlyr holding the mastery key and keymblank areidentieal inw sizek andv construction so that a description of one will suiiice for both. Theyeaeh eom-A prise a one-piece ring having an enlarged head, .as shown, with a slot 23 cuty there' through havingftlat'opposed surfaces, said slot forming the, front j aw 29 and the rear jaw 30 ot' the clamp.v Said rear 30 is1- provided with a reduced orcut-out portion 31 and both jaws are provided with longitu-l dinal parallel grooves 32. as shown.v 33indi;

Cates a flat plate engaging the reduced pora screw-threaded pin38` provided with a head 39 andfani operatingthumopiece410, which pin is screwedinto the rear jaw y3() and extends throng-ha` slot 41 with which the'pjlate is provided'. The plate33'inay be hold .in any desired. position by turning the thumb-piece 4Q, which effects' ak Clamping of ther head 39 againstv the top .of the lplatei33. When :the `plate* is .in the extreme rear ,Rosi-l ton as ShQWnfLF-ist 3 21116145 the teleth@ inclined ends 35 of fingers' 34' extend slightly within the slot 28, and whei'rthe plate is in the eXtreme `forward positionfthe grooves 36 of fingers 34 are in register with the slot 28.

42 indicates suitable screw-threaded bolts extending through the jaws 29 and 30, of the clamps 1G'and 16 and which may be opervated winged heads 43 to draw said jaws together in'order to 'clamp or hold a key therebetween when the heads are turned in one direction or to permit the jaws to spread apart due to the spring action in the metal oi' the clamps when the heads are turned in the other direction and thereby eieoting an unclamping of the key. lit yindicates' suitable hooks or latches pivoted to either side ot the heads of the clamps.

To properly position, both transversely and longitudinally, and clamp a Yale or cylinder lock key in theelamp, assumingthe jaws of the clamp areopeinrthe plate 33" is moved intofthe eXtreme rear position (see Fig. 3) with the teeth 35 thereofprotruding within the slot 28. The key is then slipped betweenv the jaws with thev teeth engaging" the conventional groove presentin the side ot the key. Plate' 33 is then pressed or moved forwardly avdistanoe sutiicient to hold the key intermediate the ends 35 of said plate and the Jiront jaw 29 of the clamp, but notf tightlyk clamp the same, and the plate is held in this position by turningthe" thumb-piece 40 to clamp the head 39 againstl the plate. rlhe key may thenr not be withdrawn from the clamp by a vertical movementjas is oby` vious, but it is capable of ahorizontal'or longitudinal movementtherein. To obtain'the" proper horizontal or longitudinal position of the key for the' duplicating 'operation the latchtlis turned up on its pivot andthe usual shoulder on the keya'dj aeent the biting edgethereo'li is'brought into close engagement'with" the side of the latch as shbwnin Figs. 1 and 2. The proper vertical. or transverse andA hori Zent-al orilongitudinal position of the key havingrthus been obtained, the

key is firmly clamped between thejaws of the clamp by turning the wingedheade which" alsor -forces the plate rearwardly againstthe aetin'ot` the clairiping headi 39. The master key havingthus ybeen'- properly positioned and olamped'inits clamp,fthe key blank is also positioned and Clam'peidin the same relative position inlvits' clamp fandtho duplicating operation proceeded with' as has heretofore been explained.

In the case of fiiat keys which are" notI provided vwith groovesyin thel sides thereof as are cylinder loekkeysthe jawsot the clamp arey opened andthe `plate"-`33`4 pushed 'forwardly until the grooves y36 are in register with slot 28 betweenpthe jawsjtlie plate being heldin the de'siredposition byclaniping the head 39 against the plate'as in the previous'case.y Thekey is then seated inthe groves 36ste obtain itsproper vertical or transverse` position in` the.; clamp and the proper horizontal or longitudinal position thereof is obtained by means of the latch 44k, afterywhichfthe key istightly clamped-` between the jaws by operating the winged head. 43. The key blank being also positioned and clamped in its respective clampvin the same re-lative position as the master key and in the same manner, theduplicating operation may be proceeded with.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the improved means on the` clamp hereinbei'ore described for properly positioning the key in the clamp is in reality a part of the clamp itself, or may be so considered, as it is unnecessary to rempve it during the duplicating operation.

For properly positioning the key and key blank in their respective clamps it is necessary to liX their longitudinal and transverse positions therein in the manner previously described so that the duplicating operation may be accurately effected. In the specic machine shown and described this longitudinal and transverse position is obtained by adjusting the position or' the key and key blank horizontally and vertically respectively but it will be understood that this is merely due to the particular organization of the preferred form of machine.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having o-pposed jaws adapted .to grip a key and a plate carried by said clamp and adapted to position the key inits proper transverse position between said jaws, said plate having a reduced end normally extending between said jaws.

2. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having opposed jaws adapted to grip a key, means for drawing said jaws together, a slidable plate carried by said clamp and lying in a plane transverse to the plane of said jaws and adapted to position the key in its proper transverse position between said jaws and means for clamping said slidable plate in the desired position.

3. in a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having a slotted head forming opposed jaws adapted to grip a key, said head being provided with a groove therein, means for drawing said aws together, a slidable plate carried by said head for positioning the key between the jaws, and a finger on said slidable plate extending in the groove in said head.

4. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having opposed jaws adapted to grip a key and a plate carried by said clamp for positioning a key between the jaws, said plate being providedwith means adapted to engage a groove in the side of the key.

5. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having opposed jaws adapted to grip a key and a plate carried by said clamp for positioning a key between the jaws, said plat-e geing provided withl meanse adaped toengageagr'oovein the sideoi: the keyand with means within which the key may be seated.

G. In a l-:ey-duplicatingmachine, aA clamp having a slotted'head forming opposedjaws adaptedto grip a key, saidhead being provided 'with a groove therein, means -for drawing said jaws together, aslidableplate carried by said head `for positioning the key between the jaws and a ringer on said plate extending in the groove on said head and having a tooth at the end thereof and said linger being provided with a groove adapted to register with the slot in the head of the clamp.

7. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having a slotted head forming opposed jaws adapted to grip a key, said head being provided with grooves therein, means or drawing said jaws together, a slidable plate on said head for positioning the key transversely between the jaws, means for clamping said slidable plate in the desired position, lingers on said plate extending in the grooves on said head, teeth on said fingers normally extending between said jaws, said fingers being also provided with grooves adapted to register with the slot in the head of the clamp and means for positioning the key longitudinally between the jaws.

8. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having opposed jaws adapted to grip a key and means carried by said clamp adapted to support a key thereon between said jaws and to engage a groove in the side of the key whereby the proper transverse position of the key in said clamp is obtained.

9. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having opposed jaws adapted to grip a key and a plate carried by said clamp for positionin a key between the jaws of the clamp, said pIate having means normally extending between said jaws and adapted to engage a groove in the side of the key.

l0. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having opposed jaws adapted to grip a key and a plate carried by said clamp for positioning a key between the jaws, said plate being adapted to support a key thereon between said jaws and being `provided with :jpeans to engage a groove in the side of the ll. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp comprising a one-piece ring with a slot therein forming opposed jaws and a plate carried by said clamp for positioning a key between said jaws, said plate being adapted to support a key thereon and being provided with means to engage a groove in the side of the key.

12. In a key-duplicating machine, a clamp having opposed jaws adapted to grip a key and provided with slidable means adapted to support a key between said jaws, said mezuis being adapted to engage n groove in the side of the key whereby the proper transverse position oi the key in the clamp is obtained.

13. In a key-duplicating machine, :i clamp having opposed uws adapted to grip akey and means carried by and siidable on said clamp and adapted to engage a groove in the side of the key whereby the proper trans- 

